Study Desk

Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions.

And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

"And he summoned him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.'

And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

"And the manager said to himself, 'What am I to do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg.

Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

'I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.'

I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

"And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

"And he said, 'A hundred jugs of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'

And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

"Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred kors of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'

Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

"And his master complimented the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.

And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it is all gone, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

"The one who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and the one who is unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

"Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true wealth to you?

If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were ridiculing Him.

And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

And He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of people, but God knows your hearts; because that which is highly esteemed among people is detestable in the sight of God.

And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John came; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

"But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

"Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day.

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

"And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,

And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

and longing to be fed from the scraps which fell from the rich man's table; not only that, the dogs also were coming and licking his sores.

And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

"Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's arms; and the rich man also died and was buried.

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

"And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms.

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

"And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.'

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

"But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

'And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.'

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

"And he said, 'Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father's house—

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.'

For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

"But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'

Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

"But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!'

And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

"But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'"

And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.